Remote Restart / Reset frozen computer over LAN

[chungenhung]

On Windows: CGWatcher + TeamViewer

The rig is hung, you cannot ping it, yet alone run TeamViewer to it.  And the CGWatcher?$#!, please!!! LOL.

Exactly.
A lot of people seems to think that TeamViewer, cgwatcher, ping, etc still somehow works on a locked up PC.

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[Hephaestus]

If you wanted to go the DIY route... http://hackaday.com/2013/05/24/rpi-control-your-server-psu-over-the-internet/
It could easily be scaled to work with more computers.

[symzzi]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Not much I can do about it now unfortunately until I get home in a couple of months, but there's a few things to think about in the meantime. I'm now suffering on day 6 of downtime with my 2.5GH/s machine and there's nothing I can do about it as no-one can go round to reset it until the end of the week!   Making me think about backing down my (very mild) overclocking when it gets going again

I picked up a couple of USB watchdog boards while I was back in the house for a couple of days off from work a few weeks ago, but they didn't come with any software application to run them, only a guide on what instructions to use to interact with the device when coding a program, and I can't code myself so they're still sat in the box at home..

Only thing I can do remotely for now is try the VM suggestion to see if its an OS or hardware lockup, that may help.

[af_newbie]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Not much I can do about it now unfortunately until I get home in a couple of months, but there's a few things to think about in the meantime. I'm now suffering on day 6 of downtime with my 2.5GH/s machine and there's nothing I can do about it as no-one can go round to reset it until the end of the week!   Making me think about backing down my (very mild) overclocking when it gets going again

I picked up a couple of USB watchdog boards while I was back in the house for a couple of days off from work a few weeks ago, but they didn't come with any software application to run them, only a guide on what instructions to use to interact with the device when coding a program, and I can't code myself so they're still sat in the box at home..

Only thing I can do remotely for now is try the VM suggestion to see if its an OS or hardware lockup, that may help.

In my experience, I've had systems hung so bad that the motherboard reset button did not work (on the motherboard!#$@!).
Only power cycle (at the wall) works 100% of time.  I'd look for a PDU that can be remotely controlled or get a DIN relay box.

[Hephaestus]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Not much I can do about it now unfortunately until I get home in a couple of months, but there's a few things to think about in the meantime. I'm now suffering on day 6 of downtime with my 2.5GH/s machine and there's nothing I can do about it as no-one can go round to reset it until the end of the week!   Making me think about backing down my (very mild) overclocking when it gets going again

I picked up a couple of USB watchdog boards while I was back in the house for a couple of days off from work a few weeks ago, but they didn't come with any software application to run them, only a guide on what instructions to use to interact with the device when coding a program, and I can't code myself so they're still sat in the box at home..

Only thing I can do remotely for now is try the VM suggestion to see if its an OS or hardware lockup, that may help.

In my experience, I've had systems hung so bad that the motherboard reset button did not work (on the motherboard!#$@!).
Only power cycle (at the wall) works 100% of time.  I'd look for a PDU that can be remotely controlled or get a DIN relay box.

If you do use a network-controlled PDU, you have to make sure to change your BIOS settings.  They usually default to the computer staying off when power is restored.

[symzzi]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Not much I can do about it now unfortunately until I get home in a couple of months, but there's a few things to think about in the meantime. I'm now suffering on day 6 of downtime with my 2.5GH/s machine and there's nothing I can do about it as no-one can go round to reset it until the end of the week!   Making me think about backing down my (very mild) overclocking when it gets going again

I picked up a couple of USB watchdog boards while I was back in the house for a couple of days off from work a few weeks ago, but they didn't come with any software application to run them, only a guide on what instructions to use to interact with the device when coding a program, and I can't code myself so they're still sat in the box at home..

Only thing I can do remotely for now is try the VM suggestion to see if its an OS or hardware lockup, that may help.

In my experience, I've had systems hung so bad that the motherboard reset button did not work (on the motherboard!#$@!).
Only power cycle (at the wall) works 100% of time.  I'd look for a PDU that can be remotely controlled or get a DIN relay box.

If you do use a network-controlled PDU, you have to make sure to change your BIOS settings.  They usually default to the computer staying off when power is restored.

BIOS setting have already been changed to hard power on. I had a problem when I got my friend to flip the main socket switch for my 3 mining rigs off and on (instead of each machine individually), it blew the fuse in the plug for my 5 card rig (UK power, 13A 230v fuse)! So I'd prefer to have the option for the AC for each machine to be reset individually, this seems the best option.

[Malawi]

Not sure if arduino have been mentioned in this tread, but think this have been done by arduinos before.

[Weppel]

Try and pick up an APC AP7911. This is a remote reboot unit that connects to your LAN and allows you to remote powercycle anything you connect to it. Can be had for USD100-200 on eBay and are rock solid.

[sniffinpoprocks]

since your already away from your machine, I would second the VMware option. and throw VirtualBox in there as well. then, if they crash, you still have access.

[18RATTT]

The question really is , is it a hardware lock up from all the mining that's causing the issue or an OS lockup?

if its the OS and  your looking for a free way. your probably best to install vmware onto each machine and run your mining rig inside that.  If it freezes you can connect to the system OS and reboot the VM using teamviewer or similar.

which VM would u recommend? thx

[LTCMINER2013]

As mentioned VirtualBox or VMWare

[3ham3]

Right so there is a simple answer to this problem.

This is what I use, I don't need to monitor it or anything, it is totally automatic.

1st. Have "CGwatcher" set to run on startup then run cgminer.
2nd. Set CGwatcher to restart sick or dead GPU's, plus restart if hashrate falls below X.
3rd. Install USB Watchdog Card on Rig. - http://www.berkprod.com/Product_Web_Pages/usb_v1_pc_watchdog.aspx
4th. Plugin USB watchdog to rig( USB connection).
5th. Run USB watchdog "tickler" software, set it to monitor cgminer.exe every 2 seconds.
6th. Test operation of rig before connecting the Watchdog card's reset pins to the motherboard, Have cgminer running, then quit it, watchdog card will beep relay click and the motherboard will be reset.

Computer will restart upon the reset, CGwatcher will start up and start cgminer.

If for any reason cgminer fails, the motherboard gets reset.

If a gpu dies or goes sick and cgwatcher tries a cgminer restart and the computer/cgminer hangs, crashes or freezes, the motherboard will get reset and the rig will reboot..

Plain and simple anything crashing cgminer or stopping cgminer and the motherboard is reset.

Each rig monitors it's self, only input from you is checking hashrate now and again to makesure all gpu's are healthy and not on their way out.

Simple and effective.

[LTCMINER2013]

Right so there is a simple answer to this problem.

This is what I use, I don't need to monitor it or anything, it is totally automatic.

1st. Have "CGwatcher" set to run on startup then run cgminer.
2nd. Set CGwatcher to restart sick or dead GPU's, plus restart if hashrate falls below X.
3rd. Install USB Watchdog Card on Rig. - http://www.berkprod.com/Product_Web_Pages/usb_v1_pc_watchdog.aspx
4th. Plugin USB watchdog to rig( USB connection).
5th. Run USB watchdog "tickler" software, set it to monitor cgminer.exe every 2 seconds.
6th. Test operation of rig before connecting the Watchdog card's reset pins to the motherboard, Have cgminer running, then quit it, watchdog card will beep relay click and the motherboard will be reset.

Computer will restart upon the reset, CGwatcher will start up and start cgminer.

If for any reason cgminer fails, the motherboard gets reset.

If a gpu dies or goes sick and cgwatcher tries a cgminer restart and the computer/cgminer hangs, crashes or freezes, the motherboard will get reset and the rig will reboot..

Plain and simple anything crashing cgminer or stopping cgminer and the motherboard is reset.


Simple and effective.

seems solid idea but its 84$...  bit expensive!

[3ham3]

Right so there is a simple answer to this problem.

This is what I use, I don't need to monitor it or anything, it is totally automatic.

1st. Have "CGwatcher" set to run on startup then run cgminer.
2nd. Set CGwatcher to restart sick or dead GPU's, plus restart if hashrate falls below X.
3rd. Install USB Watchdog Card on Rig. - http://www.berkprod.com/Product_Web_Pages/usb_v1_pc_watchdog.aspx
4th. Plugin USB watchdog to rig( USB connection).
5th. Run USB watchdog "tickler" software, set it to monitor cgminer.exe every 2 seconds.
6th. Test operation of rig before connecting the Watchdog card's reset pins to the motherboard, Have cgminer running, then quit it, watchdog card will beep relay click and the motherboard will be reset.

Computer will restart upon the reset, CGwatcher will start up and start cgminer.

If for any reason cgminer fails, the motherboard gets reset.

If a gpu dies or goes sick and cgwatcher tries a cgminer restart and the computer/cgminer hangs, crashes or freezes, the motherboard will get reset and the rig will reboot..

Plain and simple anything crashing cgminer or stopping cgminer and the motherboard is reset.


Simple and effective.

seems solid idea but its 84$...  bit expensive!

Agreed, but the only downtime is 30 seconds or so of the computer restarting, on a small scale operation downtime is not too much off an issue, vs 50+ rigs, 2-6 rigs going down due to a freeze for an hour or so can effect the overall income.

I have yet to locate a cheaper USB watchdog card that can monitor a .exe program.

[Wipeout2097]

Bump!

I really need this kind of watchdog devices. I'm using a timer that whatever happens, cuts the power and forces a restart cycle every 4 hours. Far from efficient and these redundant start-stop cycles are stressful to the components

How can I connect from one PC to the reset pins of the other?

[af_newbie]

Right so there is a simple answer to this problem.

This is what I use, I don't need to monitor it or anything, it is totally automatic.

1st. Have "CGwatcher" set to run on startup then run cgminer.
2nd. Set CGwatcher to restart sick or dead GPU's, plus restart if hashrate falls below X.
3rd. Install USB Watchdog Card on Rig. - http://www.berkprod.com/Product_Web_Pages/usb_v1_pc_watchdog.aspx
4th. Plugin USB watchdog to rig( USB connection).
5th. Run USB watchdog "tickler" software, set it to monitor cgminer.exe every 2 seconds.
6th. Test operation of rig before connecting the Watchdog card's reset pins to the motherboard, Have cgminer running, then quit it, watchdog card will beep relay click and the motherboard will be reset.

Computer will restart upon the reset, CGwatcher will start up and start cgminer.

If for any reason cgminer fails, the motherboard gets reset.

If a gpu dies or goes sick and cgwatcher tries a cgminer restart and the computer/cgminer hangs, crashes or freezes, the motherboard will get reset and the rig will reboot..

Plain and simple anything crashing cgminer or stopping cgminer and the motherboard is reset.

Each rig monitors it's self, only input from you is checking hashrate now and again to makesure all gpu's are healthy and not on their way out.

Simple and effective.

One more time.  This watchdog card will not work on h/w hung systems.  Reset of the motherboard does not work in those situations.  Only a power cycle does.
cgwatcher will not detect AMD driver crashes on Windows.  My akbash watchdog does.

Only external controller works.  Another cheaper solution is to use rpi and control 16A/20A/30A relay via GPIO.  You can get these relay boards (optocoupler+relay) on ebay for <$10 and hook them up to your rpi.
One GPIO port for each relay.  GPIO drive the optocoupler (3-5mA) directly.  You can control  8 or more computers from one rpi.

Or pick this one: http://www.opto22.com/site/pr_details.aspx?cid=3&item=120D25
it will draw ~2.3mA from the GPIO, optocoupler, solid state.  Reliable for life.  Can be reused for other home automation projects.

[bitcenturion]

This.

$60 US on ebay:

http://www.ubnt.com/mfi#m-Power